Chris's Crime Forum

The body of 40-year-old Ms Jones, who was originally from Staffordshire, was found in Queens Park in May 2008.

Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted the businesswoman and forced her to enter the park on 28 or 29 May last year.
careful: GRAPHIC


The trial of a man accused of the rape and murder of Moira Jones in Glasgow last year is under way.

The jury in the trial of Marek Harcar, a 33-year-old Slovakian, was sworn in at the High Court in Glasgow.

He denies all charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi. The trial before Lord Bracadale is expected to last for three weeks.

The body of 40-year-old Ms Jones, who was originally from Staffordshire, was found in Queens Park in May 2008.

Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted the businesswoman and forced her to enter the park on 28 or 29 May last year.

Separate charge

It is claimed he forced her across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

Mr Harcar is then alleged to have repeatedly struck the 40-year-old's body on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

He is said to have murdered Miss Jones and robbed her of two rings and three bags, which included a camera, laptop and three mobile phones.

Mr Harcar also faces a separate charge of committing a breach of the peace by threatening to kill another woman, Lucie Pechtlova, at an address in the city on 29 May, 2008.

He is also accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing from Scotland to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.





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Offender 'admitted' Moira murder
A defence lawyer has told the trial into the murder of Moira Jones that a convicted sex offender admitted he was responsible for the killing.

Jason Mulheron was said to have made the claims after Ms Jones' body was found in Queen's Park in Glasgow.

The evidence was heard at the High Court in Glasgow during the trial of 33-year-old Marek Harcar.

The Slovakian has lodged a defence of incrimination blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones last May.

The court heard that Mulheron has convictions for sex attacks on two women in Glasgow's south side between 1999 and 2008.

Det Sgt Calum Crawford told the jury he was part of the inquiry team in Miss Jones' death.

Harcar's QC Paul McBride put Mulheron's previous convictions to the police officer.

Mr McBride said: "Would it also be of interest that this individual (Mulheron) was said to have admitted the crime (of Miss Jones' murder)?"

DS Crawford replied: "Yes, it would be of interest."

Mr McBride also asked: "Someone like Jason Mulheron would be of interest to the police in this type of enquiry a man who committed an offence not long before Miss Jones died?"

The officer replied: "Yes."

The jury was also told that 22 registered sex offenders lived within the area of the attack.

It was also shown CCTV footage of Mr Harcar entering OSC shoe shop in Argyle Street, Glasgow, where he tried on a pair of shoes and bought a pair of white Adidas trainers.

In the footage he is wearing a black leather jacket.
Hannah Griffiths, a sales assistant in the shop at the time, identified Harcar in the dock and identified the shoes shown to her.

She told the court: "He was really tall and English was not his first language. He maintained eye contact for a bit longer than normal which I put down to language difference."

She said that in May last year his hair was dark. It is now grey.

Asked whether she noticed any other differences she replied: "I don't know. I don't really like to look at him."

The jury was also shown CCTV images taken from a pub in Victoria Road, the Queens Park Hotel in Balvicar Street, Haddows off-sales in Pollokshaws Road and Samuel Dow's pub in Nithsdale Road.

The footage was taken between 2300 BST on 28 May and 0225 BST on 29 May and all show a man in a dark jacket and light trousers.

Another piece of CCTV footage taken from a First Bus travelling on the road alongside the park shows two figures walking along and finishes at 2331 BST.

The jury was also shown a video walkthrough which started near Ms Jones' flat in Queens Drive and passed the spot where her body was found in the park, a route of 400m.

It was also shown photographs of buttons found under a holly bush in the park and a shoe found on a grassy slope near where her body was found, as well as photos taken inside a bedsit in 38, Queens Drive.

Special defences

Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted Ms Jones and forced her to enter Queen's Park on 28 or 29 May 2008.

It is claimed that he forced her across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

Mr Harcar is then said to have repeatedly struck the 40-year-old's body on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

He is also alleged to have murdered Ms Jones and robbed her of two rings and three bags which included a camera, laptop and three mobile phones.

He denies all charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi.

Mr Harcar has blamed three other men for the attack and claims he was elsewhere at the time it happened.

He is also charged with committing a breach of the peace by threatening to kill Lucie Pechtlova at a room in Queen's Drive on 29 May.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.
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Final warning for Moira accused

The Moira Jones murder trial has been adjourned after the accused again refused to wear headphones to listen to a translation of the proceedings.

Judge Lord Bracadale told Marek Harcar, 33, that he would be given one last chance to reflect on the seriousness of his actions.

The jury at the High Court in Glasgow has not heard any evidence for the past three days.

Mr Harcar, who is Slovakian, denies murdering Ms Jones in Glasgow last May.

The adjournment came after the accused refused to appear in court on Thursday.

The case was also adjourned on Wednesday after Mr Harcar refused to wear the translation headphones.

the case continues...

Moira trial hears of man in park
A witness has told the Moira Jones murder trial that he heard a man with an eastern European accent in Queen's Park on the night of her death.

Steven Hanson told the High Court in Glasgow that he also heard a scream and a female voice saying "stop it".

The evidence was heard during the trial of 33-year-old Marek Harcar.

The Slovakian denies all the charges and lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for Ms Jones' murder in Queen's Park last May.

Mr Hanson told the court he had been walking his dog around the park at about 2320 GMT on 28 May last year when he heard a scream near to the tennis courts.
The 40-year-old art director said he then heard a distinctive accent coming from the same direction.

The father-of-one went on: "I heard someone scream 'stop it'. That was a girl's voice. I heard an east European accent and this was male.

"I could not hear words. It was the tone and intonation. The voice was male and nothing else. It was sort of projected and it was quite loud."

Mr Hanson said he then went to investigate, fearing someone could be in trouble.

He spotted a man sitting looking into a holly bush, which he agreed "appeared odd".

Mr Hanson: "He did not register that I was there. He really stared into the bush. He really kept his attention focused into the bush."

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC, prosecuting, asked: "See anything in the bush?"

Uneasy feeling

He replied: "I felt that there was someone in there, but it was really hard to say."

Mr Hanson added that he felt "uneasy" and continued watching the area. He saw what he thought was the same individual smoking.

Miss Angiolini asked: "This person was male, can you give a further description?"

He said: "He had dark hair. He was quite striking looking and had high cheek bones.

I felt that he had more Mediterranean skin, sallow, quite clean shaven. He looked almost all-American, like a college student and appeared fit.

"He had a distinctive face and an almost cherub like mouth. He had no distinguishable marks."

Mr Hanson added that he thought the male was late 20s to mid 30s.

He said he left the park "troubled".

He told the jury: "I thought that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing."

When he found out next day that there had been a murder in the park, he went to police and provided three sketches and a painting of the man he had seen.

'Police pressure'

Paul McBride QC, defending, later put it to Mr Hanson: "You were not sure about a girl at all other than hearing because you never seen a girl.

"Were you put under pressure by the police to say that a female was there and to give a description of her?"

He replied: "Yes."

Mr Harcar is alleged to have abducted Ms Jones, who was originally from Staffordshire, and forced her to enter the park on 28 or 29 May 2008.

It is claimed that he forced her across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

He is then said to have repeatedly struck Ms Jones on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

Mr Harcar is also alleged to have murdered the businesswoman and stolen from her.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

He denies all charges and has lodged special defences of incrimination and alibi.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.

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Cause of Death"

'repeated attack'
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Marjorie Black told the High Court in Glasgow Ms Jones had at least 65 injuries.

The evidence was heard during the trial of 33-year-old Marek Harcar.

The Slovakian denies the rape and murder of 40-year-old Ms Jones in Queen's Park, Glasgow, last May.

Dr Black, 46, was questioned by prosecutors about a post-mortem examination she carried out on Ms Jones.

The pathologist told the court her injuries included black eyes, a broken nose and "very severe and very extensive bruising".

'Bizarre' behaviour

Lord Advocate Eilish Angiolini asked her: "Would it be fair that these external injuries alone would be indicative of a sustained and repeated attack?" Dr Black replied "yes".

Ms Angiolini said: "Would you describe it as severe in nature?" Dr Black agreed.
Earlier, the court heard that Mr Harcar told a neighbour on the night Ms Jones was killed: "I need a woman - I'm looking for a woman."

Tchattche Chevis said the accused had banged on his door and behaved in a "bizarre way".

It is claimed that Mr Harcar forced Ms Jones across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

He is then said to have repeatedly struck her on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

Mr Harcar is also alleged to have murdered the businesswoman, who is originally from Staffordshire, and stolen from her.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

Mr Hacar has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.


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Moira accused 'had Chaplin walk'
The Moira Jones murder trial has been shown CCTV footage of a man "similar" to the accused walking near Glasgow's Queen's Park soon after she was killed.

Det Con Jane Hamilton told the court the person had characteristics that resembled images of Marek Harcar from other CCTV footage she had watched.

She also told the jury at the High Court in Glasgow that the accused "walked like Charlie Chaplin".

The 33-year-old Slovakian denies the rape and murder of Ms Jones last May.

Det Con Hamilton told the court how she viewed different CCTV footage as part of the probe into Miss Jones' death.

The jury was shown some of those films which included Mr Harcar at Luton and Stansted airports on his way to the Czech Republic, days after he allegedly attacked his victim.

Det Con Hamilton told the trial: "He is wearing a black leather jacket, white shirt, blue denims and light trainers."

The detective was later referred to images captured earlier which she said showed Mr Harcar walking past an off-licence in Glasgow's Pollokshaws Road.

She said the clothing "appeared to be the same" as the other footage.

She was then shown a film of a man near the city's Queen's Park hotel at about 0218 GMT on 29 May last year.

Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini QC, prosecuting, asked: "Do you know who that is?"

The officer replied: "I cannot identify him from that footage."

The detective added that the man appeared to be "similar" to Marek Harcar.

She said: "He is dressed similar, walks in a similar manner and the hairstyle is very similar.

"He has a walk like Charlie Chaplin. He kicks out with his left leg as he walks."

Det Con Hamilton also told the court the man in the footage appeared to be carrying a black, rectangular bag.

Earlier this week the jury heard how Ms Jones' laptop was found discarded near the Balvicar Street entrance to Queen's Park.

Sex offender

The jury also saw one of three men Harcar has blamed for the murder of Ms Jones.

The Lord Advocate asked for convicted sex offender Jason Mulheron to be brought into the court in order to allow a detective to identify him.

Det Con William Watson told how he and a colleague met with Mulheron at his home in the city's Govanhill last June.

He was one of a number of local sex offenders that police spoke to during inquiries into Ms Jones' death.

Mulheron told the officers he had been at home watching football on the evening of the murder and had only left his flat to buy a bottle of Buckfast.

Harcar's QC Paul McBride later asked Det Con Watson: "His position was that he was at home at the time of the murder.

"But, it is all but a short hop, skip and a jump to where he could have got into the Queen's Park area?"

The detective said that was correct.

Special defences

It is claimed that Mr Harcar forced Ms Jones across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

He is then said to have repeatedly struck her on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

Mr Harcar is also alleged to have murdered the businesswoman, who is originally from Staffordshire, and stolen from her.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

Mr Harcar has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.

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DNA taken from the businesswoman's body matched the DNA profile of the accused.


Forensic scientist Carol Weston told High Court in Glasgow that the chances of someone else having the same DNA profile was more than one in a billion.

She also said she believed Marek Harcar had sex with Miss Jones.

The 33-year-old Slovakian denies raping and murdering Ms Jones in Queen's Park in Glasgow last May.

Ms Weston who works for the Scottish Police Services Authority told the court she took swabs from Miss Jones body.

She later carried out tests on a duvet cover taken from the Glasgow bedsit where Mr Harcar lived. Two stains on the cover were analysed and DNA was found.

Miss Weston told the jury: "The probability of this profile originating from another male unrelated to Marek Harcar is one in a more than a billion."

Miss Weston also analysed the swabs taken from Miss Jones body. Semen found on the swabs matched the previous DNA profile.
She said this "supported" the assertion that Mr Harcar had sexual intercourse with Miss Jones.

Ms Weston agreed with the Lord Advocate that "in her opinion" Miss Jones did not get up after sex had taken place.

Earlier the court heard evidence from Det Sgt Brian Foster who helped extradite Harcar back to Scotland last July.

The jury was read parts of a police interview with Mr Harcar, carried out when he was brought back to Glasgow.

In relation to the murder charge, he said: "Well, I can only tell this was invented. It was not me, I did not do it.

Mr Harcar claimed: "I heard that something happened. I was walking round about there because that is where I used to stay."

"But, I would not have even imagined in my dreams that this could happen in relation to me."

Special defences

It is claimed that Mr Harcar forced Ms Jones across the park against her will before he repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body.

He is then said to have repeatedly struck her on the ground, forcibly removed her clothes, compressed her neck, pinned her to the ground and raped her.

Mr Harcar is also alleged to have murdered the businesswoman, who is originally from Staffordshire, and stolen from her.

He is then accused of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by fleeing to the Czech Republic and Slovakia between 1 and 18 June last year.

Mr Harcar has lodged defences of incrimination and alibi, blaming three others for the murder of Ms Jones.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, continues.

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JOGGERS, cyclists and mums with prams happily go about their daily routine in Glasgow's Queen's Park. The tranquil, open surroundings sees dozens of people come and go, but never far from their thoughts is the horror that unfolded in the park exactly one year ago.

Today is the first anniversary since the body of businesswoman Moira Jones was found in the South Side park.

Already floral tributes have been laid by friends in her memory at the spot where she died.

The bustling park of today is a far cry from the events of May 28 last year which led to the park being cordoned off for weeks as police searched for clues.

Bright clear skies on the late spring day last year would have brought people out in their droves but the grim discovery of Moira's body at 9.45am on May 29 changed the community forever.

Moira was attacked after parking her car yards from her flat in nearby Queen's Drive. She was forced into Queen's Park and assaulted before being dragged deeper into the park.

A year ago today, a park ranger found her partially-clothed body lying face down behind a hedge as he did his morning rounds.

Her killer, Slovakian Marek Harcar, was last month jailed for a minimum of 25 years.

One floral tribute placed near the scene where she died reads: "Dear Moira, we'll remember you always."

Another says: "You will be in our thoughts forever."

They sum up the feelings of a community drawn together by the tragedy.

Since then, life has gradually been breathed back into the area.

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